- Details
If you have lost a relative or friend whilst they were a patient at the Ashford and St Peter’s hospitals, many staff will have been involved in their care during their stay and so, on behalf of all of them, we wish to express our condolences, sympathy and concern for you at this time. The Bereavement Office provides advice and practical help for bereaved relatives in the period immediately after the death of a loved one, this can include;
- Information about the death certification and registration process
- The return of patient property
The Bereavement Office can be contacted on 01932 722319 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm.
The office is located on the Ground Floor of the Brooklands Building, St Peter’s Hospital.
- Medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD)
- Your relative’s property
- Bereavement Office
- Advice and Information
- Which Funeral Directors?
- Bereavement Advice Leaflet
Visiting the Chapel of Rest at the Mortuary
We recommend viewing your loved one once they have been transferred into the care of your chosen funeral director. However, if you wish to view them before then we may be able to accommodate visits in our Chapel of Rest. Please contact the Bereavement Office on 01932 722319 to discuss this.
Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD)
You will need a MCCD for a Registrar to issue a Death Certificate for your relative.
The MCCD is completed and signed by a doctor who has seen a patient during their last illness within 28 days before their death. Following completion of the MCCD it is scrutinised by a Medical Examiner.
A member of the Medical Examiner’s Office will contact you to discuss your relative’s illness and the MCCD. A scanned copy of the MCCD will then be sent direct to the Guildford Register Office, therefore you do not need to visit the hospital to collect this.
In certain circumstances an MCCD is unable to be issues and a Coroner’s referral must be made. We will inform you if this is the case.
Your Relative’s Property
You will be able to collect your relative’s personal items from the ward where they were cared for. Alternatively, you can collect property via the Bereavement Office – please call on 01932 722319 to arrange this.
Bereavement Office
The Bereavement Office offers advice and practical help for bereaved relatives in the period immediately following the death of a loved one.
Advice and Information
How to register a death and other useful information
Bereavement Support
Downloads
Which Funeral Directors?
You may wish to approach more than one Funeral Director to get an estimate of their costs before making your choice; your chosen funeral director should be able to guide you in every detail of making the funeral arrangements. Our Bereavement Officers can advise you of names of funeral directors in the local area if required, but are not able to make any personal recommendation.
The Eternal Garden
The Eternal Garden provides an indoor and outdoor space for our end-of-life patients to spend time with loved ones recounting memories, and for colleagues to use the space to deliver difficult news and decompress following a challenging day. The Eternal Garden can also be used by parents who are under the care of our Maternity and Neonatal services whose babies have sadly died or are receiving palliative end of life care.
The Bereavement Café
The Bereavement Café is a service where families and friends who have lost a loved one can meet up once a week to chat over coffee.
